Dark tank with temperature control for continuous film



Jan. 17, 1950 c. ARTHUR 2,495,049

F. DARK TANK WITH. TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR CONTINUOUS FILMS Filed Oct. 50, 1945 3 SheetsSheet 1 F gl 1 ;& aw-

I I I I I l I l I I I I I l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I v I y 7 I l 3 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I INVENTO R Frank CA/"f/n/P Jan. 17, 1950 F. c. ARTHUR 2,

DARK TANK WITH TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR CONTINUOUS FILMS Filed Oct. 30, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Frank C. Arr-77w" 7 A 1 m, miufl F. C. ARTHUR DARK TANK WITH TEMPERATURE CONTROL. FOR CONTINUOUS FILMS Jan. 17, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 50, 1945 Frank c'T-YZWwr :ber; andeformsthe-bottom of; the chamber;

Patented Jan. 17 1950 fEiNET ".f, OF FilCE 1 DARK TANK WITHi: TEMPERATURE CDNTBOLEOR CONTINUOUS FILM 2 Claims.

. My -,in,vention relates ,to; fllm processingamw chines, and more;;particularly .to;azrmfifihine for subjecting. photographic-film in strip zform to the .action of developers andother,chemicalsolutions,

and .forv washing ;.or ,otherwise;;treating-film.

:. .One object of my inyention-is tqprovide means for'processing or treating photo wphifi ms.-. is

,quately, withpasmaller quantity of chemical solution thamrequired by ,various; methods here- I .tofore employed.

.- ;,Another;object,of;my.,;invention istoprovide cmeans. for more e iectivelmbrins ne hetree n solution into; engagementwith the filrn,;-with con- "sequent reduceddanger ot'ent apment of air bubbles on-therfilm. A .furtherobject'of; my invention,;is ,to;.m'qvide a means foragitationpf thechemicalsolutipn on a wfilm surface inya manner-.zwhereby there :is more 1; .uniformity of-chemical ;ac tion on- .the filrngthan in the case of.othermethods heretoforeemployed.

Still another objectwi my; invention vide means for. controllinggthetemperature of .the ch micalsolution in an improved manner.

In. the. accompa nadrawines,

. Figure 1 ;is,-a;vei:tical sectional view through. a

treating tank and apparatus associated therewith embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side yiewoitheupper portion of the tank of Figure 1, with thefilm-parryingdrum removed therefrom and supported in position for I the winding or unwinding of film;

'Figure 3 is a partialsection simllanto Eigure 1 showing l a modification and Figure 4 is a plan viewthereof.

I The a a s c s;.apy ndIicaI :-t a ,,3 1;. having a cylindrical chambenfi mounted;.;therein,

0f slightlysmaller diameterthan the tank. The

space between the tankwall and chamber wall is adapted to contain a chemical solution. z :.si ngle plate closes the space between the tank and; cham- The film-treating solution is introduced into the tank 3 through a pipe 5, from a hose or the like. The pipe 5 may suitably be of flexible hose whose outer end is maintained at a level above the liquid level in the tank 3. The chemical solution will be replenished or replaced from time to time as it loses its potency. An overflow pipe 6 leading to a drain opening 1 will prevent filling of the tank 3 to a too high level.

The tank has a circular lid or cover 8 loosely surrounding a ring 9 that is secured to the upper end of the tank, so that the lid can have rotative movement on the tank. A drum I0 is firmly attached to the lid 8 so that it will rotate therewith when the ;li d is;tu1;nedi .A/helicaljoead II is formed npr e rriedpy the p riph r l. surfac of th d um to. rve. as spa ers t -1 the, onvo ut 0 m s -1111512 thaws-spiral y: wrappe n: the .T e fil ti mal sa sc ne e -at its upper and lowerends to, thedmin, by suitable clips or, tie elements ias indicated at [3, B eferably the tie means l3 are tensioned tqtake up, any s ack xis eit e fi l -Either a warm .or,a, cold, fluid, suchasiwater is introduced into the chamber 4 .througha pipe I 5, n here may-beco tmue snowb this empe atulje ogntrolling '1 liquid during a film-treatin ,QPQK UZ O i l z h se e th w tersill. flaw Off through- ,an overflow pipe, I [5, to; the drainopening -.-Thea n. :marbe nrqv awit =a. -la e of therm l 'i Su at QnQmh xte r th r q t s n t elosspf he brcwrect W hthe art a em l v e at o la shown filrnpn-the v drum ll the cover e .dr m. a b turned or at bma-hhn u mn li ha ti i ly ha cover; to thus agitate ,the chernical A 7 hat surrounds the; -.drum l fl and the hamper 4 .i 1351, 1 asgnlof. .the;1he1ical;-rib l l the ut i i as tated r, s irredt m kee aridnniiormss a e nt. hereofwith; the

film I2.

.-:-A1. 0 he-pres t: o som o e s l tion beween the wal1 o;f,, chamber 4,,and..the, drurn l0 illtm k l f ef c i e. hea tran f r betw the; chemical solution and theternperature n odi- ,yina iq i xt ev chamb r It wilube .un

stood that water or other fluid that-isof either lower temperature pr higher temperature than zt eeqhemi ah. sili -t onvwi emtrodu e -iinl the 1 am t u fl ien ra toim di roricha e 7 J 1.. z mihQIflHK-wdWi to a vertical plane at which position an arm 18 that is loosely supported on the shaft of the handle I"! can be inserted into a socket I9 formed on the side of the tank, as shown in Figure 2. The drum can then be rotated to wind a film thereon. This must be done in a dark room. When the film has been wound on the drum and the cover replaced on the tank, the latter may thereafter be operated in the light since the tank is light-tight. Thus the charging of the tank with developer and the supply of temperaturecontrol water need not be done in the dark. Similarly, a treated film can be conveniently removed from the drum by rotating the drum.

A modified form of the invention shown in Figures 3 and 4 has the drum rotatably mounted on the cover and is provided with a motor for driving the drum. The construction of the modified form is generally similar to that described above including a tank 20, a cylindrical chamber 2| therein and a cover 22 removably disposed on the tank. The tank and chamber have inlet and outlet connections identical with those of the form of the invention already described. A film-carrying drum 23 has an end.

plate 24 secured to a shaft 25. The shaft is journaled centrally in the cover 22 and has a pulley 26 secured thereto.

A motor 21 is carried on a mounting bracket 28 secured to the cover 22. A pulley 29 on the motor shaft drives the pulley 26 through a belt 30. The cover 22 is also provided with an arm similar to that shown at l8 and the tank 20 with a socket [9 adapted to receive the arm. Thus, when the cover is disposed on the tank, as shown in Figure 2, the motor may be operated to wind the film on the drum. When the drum is disposed in the tank as shown in Figure 3, the motor may be operated to drive the drum during the processing of the film, affording continuous agitation of the developing solution, wash water, or the like.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention is characterized by numerous advantages. The construction is simple and compact so that the device may be made at low cost and used by amateur photographers without difiiculty. The liquid in the annular space between the tank and inner chamber may be changed quickly and replaced as desired with little or no loss. whether by hand as in the case of the device of Figures 1 and 2, or by the motor drive in the modified form, serves to dislodge any air bubbles forming on the film. The temperature of the treating liquid can easily be maintained at the desired value by the circulation of Water through the inner chamber. In fact, a film on the drum may be maintained at a safe temperature during any interval in the processing,

even though there is no solution in contact with the film.

Although I have described but 'two preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that changes in the details thereof may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention of the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Film-processing apparatus comprising an annular tank adapted to contain a chemical filmtreating solution, said tank having a heat transmitting inner wall and an outer wall, an openbottomed drum hanging in said tank intermediate said inner and outer walls and adapted to be said drum while so immersed, top and bottom closures for the space circumscribed by said inner wall and adapted thereby to form a closed cylindrical chamber having said inner wall as the outer peripheral surface thereof, an inlet pipe connection to said chamber adjacent said bottom closure, an outlet pipe connection adjacent said top closure, said pipe connections being adapted to maintain said chamber substantially filled with circulating fluid having a predetermined temperature to maintain said chemical solution at a preselected temperature by heat transmission through said inner wall, and means for supporting film to be processed on the periphery of said drum, whereby said film is treated in said solution at said preselected temperature.

' open-bottomed drum supported in said tank in The movement of the drum dependent fashion intermediate said inner and outer Walls and adapted to be immersed in said solution, a cover rotatably supported on said tank, said drum being afiixed to the underside of said cover, top and bottom closures for the space circumscribed by said inner wall and adapted thereby to form a closed cylindrical chamber having said inner wall as the outer peripheral surface thereof, an inlet pipe connection to said chamber adjacent said bottom closure, an outlet pipe connection into said chamber adjacent said bottom closure and having its open end adjacent said top closure and within said chamber, said pipe connections being adapted to circulate a liquid having a predetermined temperature through said chamber and to maintain said chamber substantially filled therewith, said liquid being adapted to maintain said chemical immersed in said solution, means for rotating solution at a preselected temperature by heat transmission through said inner wall, and means for supporting film to be processed on the periphery of said drum, whereby said film is treated in said solution at said preselected temperature.

FRANK C. ARTHUR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,373,311 Procoudine-Gorsky Mar. 29, 1921 1,967,889 Kitroser July 24, 1934 2,142,881 Bell Jan. 3, 1939 2,232,763 Becher Feb. 25, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 163,004 Great Britain May 6, 1921 560,005 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1944 

